Helen Montana Wakefield

Helen M. (Keefe) Wakefield, native of Butte, Montana, died Tuesday, December 13 at her residence in the Ave Maria Home in Bartlett, Tennessee, at the age of 94. She was born in Butte to Arthur and Bertha (Lotthammer) Peterson on June 18, 1922. She was raised in the loving home of her mother and step-father Bertha and Thomas Keefe, attended local schools, and graduated from Butte High School. Helen graduated from St. Vincent Nursing School and served her community with care as a registered nurse for over thirty years. She married Edwin R. Wakefield of Butte in San Diego on May 18, 1943, where she worked as a nurse in a county hospital. Ed served with the 8th Division of the Second Marines, receiving the Purple Heart, and upon his homecoming the couple returned to Butte. Helen was very devoted to her family and friends and was known for her constancy in dedication toward her loved ones, as well as her hospitality toward all around her. She was a devout Catholic, having chosen to convert to the faith as a young teen, and held a special love for the Blessed Mother throughout her life. She enjoyed gardening, horseback riding with her family, volunteering with the Food Bank and as a tutor for underprivileged youth, and was a member of the Elks Bowling League and the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy prayer group. Helen was a breast cancer survivor and maintained a gentle yet resilient strength throughout her life. At the age of 87, she moved to Bartlett, Tennessee, to be closer to her daughter and family. Helen is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Edwin and Susan Wakefield of Mesquite, Nevada; daughter and son-in-law Mary Helen and Ronald Fennell of Bartlett, Tennessee; grandchildren Julli Wakefield, Erica and Gage Schofield, Rebecca and Mark Miller, and Janine and Louis Revenig; and great-grandchildren Rosaline and Caleb Miller. Helen is also survived by her nieces and nephews Francey and Dean Russell, Janet Gregory, and Patti Gregory, and numerous great-nieces and nephews. Helen is preceded in death by her beloved husband Edwin, her infant daughter Diane Wakefield, her sister Frances Gregory, her nephew Jimmy Gregory, and her niece Debbie Gregory. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the Ave Maria Home, at www.avemariahome.org. Express condolences at www.wayrynen-richards.com.

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Helen Montana Wakefield

June 18, 1922 - December 13, 2016